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Police must confront their own bias in wake of ‘Freedom Convoy’: former Ottawa chief
November 1, 2022 By The Canadian Press
Oct. 31, 2022, Ottawa, Ont. – Ottawa’s former police chief says the force needs to confront bias and right-wing extremism in order to repair trust with its citizens in the aftermath of the “Freedom Convoy” protest.
Peter Sloly continued his testimony at the public inquiry investigating the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act.
A lawyer representing downtown businesses and community members asked Sloly this afternoon if he was aware of a double standard being applied to left-wing protests like Black Lives Matter in comparison to the treatment of convoy protesters who occupied the city for weeks.
Sloly says he saw that kind of bias during his time as chief, in the private sector, and in provincial and national intelligence gathering.
He says he was hired as chief to confront bias and discrimination among Ottawa police members, which he believes is the reason he was undermined by his own members during the protests.
Sloly resigned as Ottawa’s police chief at the height of the demonstrations on Feb. 15.
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